Candidates for county-wide party office

Candidates for party office, 2021-2023
County-wide offices
Democratic Party of Rio Arriba County

[29 March 2021]

This documents lists those who have declared their candidacy for one or more of the following offices in Rio Arriba County, for terms to run from spring 2021 to spring 2023.

When registering their candidacy, candidates were asked “Why are you running for this office?” The responses given by each candidate are reproduced after the candidate name.

Owing to data processing issues, paragraph breaks have been lost and some statements are missing. If you are a candidate and the statement you filed is not here or is not displayed correctly, please write the webmaster with corrections.

Candidates for county chair

The CCC will elect one.

  • Isaac Dakota Casados

    Why are you running?

    I am running for County Chair because I believe our best days are ahead of us and we must rebuild what we have lost as a county Democratic Party.

    The days of disarray and division must stop.

    I have worked tirelessly for over two decades to elect Democrats in Rio Arriba County and statewide. I served as co-chair for then Attorney General Tom Udall’s Campaign for the US Congress (1999) and recently as a pivotal member of Sen. Leo Jaramillo and Rep. Roger Montoya’s successful campaigns.

    Together, I will ensure we have candidates that uphold our strong Democratic and progressive tenets. I will work to remove fear and intimidation from our local elections. I will foster collaboration, communication, advocacy, acceptance and action. I will work to give voice to those without and welcome new voices– our Native American pueblos and the Jicarilla Apache Nation, LGBTQ, Sikh community, minorities, our youth and young adults, and every other marginalized person– under a new Democratic tent.

    I will stand strong with the people of this beautiful community and work tirelessly to build a party that recognizes our vast diversity and builds a foundation for younger Democrats who will one day lead this party.

  • Joann V. Salazar

    Why are you running?

    I am both honored and humbled by the overwhelming support that I have received by Democrats asking me to seek re-election as Chair of the DPRAC. In the last 2 years we have seen the party grow in diversity and we met the challenges that kept our county BLUE! We know that when we volunteer, we don’t do so for popularity or fame but to get Democrats elected. As your DPRAC Chair, I will:

    • build upon our foundation of inclusiveness, support and promote members of our diverse community to establish caucuses that work collectively with others across the state
    • create and sustain a quarterly newsletter
    • work with precinct and wards to increase new voter registration projects
    • lead the fight to establish a fair redistricting plan for our county
    • continue our monthly CCC meetings by virtual means and in person when COVID restrictions are lifted
    • most importantly, mobilize to elect Democrats to office
    • create and sustain a quarterly newsletter work with precinct and wards to increase new voter registration projects
    • lead the fight to establish a fair redistricting plan for our county
    • continue our monthly CCC meetings by virtual means and in person when COVID restrictions are lifted
    • most importantly, mobilize to elect Democrats to office

    Like many of you, my roots are in Northern New Mexico. My work experience as an elected official with the Espanola Public Schools Board of Education, a member of the DPNM DPNM Platform Committee, working along side with now Congresswoman Deb Holland, a Deputy Director for now Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, a Bureau Chief (overseeing over 3 million in state and federal funds), a Director of a non-profit/free clinic in Santa Fe, and as a a board member of the Santa Fe/Del Norte (now regionally now regionally combined) Boys and Girls Club, and as a member of the DPNM SCC, I will continue to bring voters to the table to keep us RIO ARRIBA STRONG! Thank you for your support. I remain humbled by your vote and will be your strongest advocate.

Candidates for first vice-chair

The CCC will elect one.

[Note from webmaster: no list of candidates for first vice-chair has been released by the election administrators, nor have candidate statements. The names of candidates listed below are given as reported by those with access to a copy of the ballot. Statements will be included when and if they are received.]

Female candidates

A female or gender-diverse vice-chair will be elected if the county chair elected is male.

  • Charlotte Madueño

  • Lou Baker

Male candidates

A male or gender-diverse vice-chair will be elected if the county chair elected is female.

  • Henry Ochoa

  • Andres Madueño

  • Tirzio Lopez

Gender-diverse candidates

None.

Candidates for seats on the state central committee (SCC)

The chair and vice-chair are automatically members of the SCC. The CCC will elect eight additional members.

DPNM Rule, Article II-State Party Organization, Section 1.2.2.2-SCC, Elections for Counties with only one Congressional District states:

For a county totally contained within a Congressional District: Additional members shall be elected by the County Central Committee according to Article 1, Rule 5.5.2.2. There shall be equal numbers of men and women (within a variance of not more than one) among the members of the State Central Committee from the county; and the voting procedures of Appendix A relating to equal division of men and women apply.

[Note from webmaster: The statements filed by candidates for seats on the state central committee have not been released by the election administrators. Statements will be inserted here when available. Candidates may also send statements to the webmaster for inclusion here.]

Female candidates

  • Flora Angela Valdez

  • Lou Baker

  • Isabel Jewell

  • LeeAnn C. Salazar Montoya

  • Charlotte Madueño

  • Lucia Sanchez

  • Lucretia Williams

  • Clarissa Durán

  • Ramoncita Martinez

  • Tina Archuleta

  • Jessica Madrid

  • Tessa Jo Mascareñas

  • Debbie Rodella

  • Susan K. Herrera

  • Patricia Serna

Male Candidates

  • Christopher Michael Sperberg-McQueen

  • Alvin Warren

  • Felipe Martinez

  • T. Justin Garoutte

  • Joseph Sanchez

  • Isaac Dakota Casados

  • Joe J. Salazar

  • Carlos Salazar

  • Jose Agapito Candelaria

  • Arsenio E. Martinez

  • Roger Montoya

  • Jean Claude (Jake) Arnold

  • Henry Ochoa

  • David S. Chavez

  • Andres Madueño

  • Alfonso Durán

  • Ralph Martinez

  • Luis Torres

Gender Diverse Candidates

  • Santana L. Salazar